A Phoenix pastor who had devoted his life to helping people with a tarnished past was brutally murdered in his own home on Feb. 27. The killing left many wondering if it could have been the work of one of the people that he had served. It was a scene out of a movie, two men broke into the pastor’s home in a home invasion gone wrong. The suspects struck the roommate with a gun and robbed him, while shooting the pastor during a confrontation. There has been a big break in the case, one of the suspects was arrested by Phoenix Police, while the second suspect is still at large. The beloved pastor spent his days in downtown Phoenix, helping those who came from a tough background. While people were wondering if the pastor was killed by one of the people he had helped, his colleagues and people who knew him say they don’t recognize the suspect that was arrested. J. Monroy, 28, was arrested for the pastor’s murder; the authorities say that he is one of the two men behind the killing of Pastor J. Moriarty, 53. Monroy is facing charges of armed robbery, murder, burglary, and kidnapping. Pastor Moriarty dedicated his life to helping those who many believed were beyond help. He helped drug addicts, the homeless, convicts, and sex offenders at the Redeemed Outreach Center, a non-profit organization that goes to the toughest parts of town to help people and take them off of the streets so they can restart their lives. Pastor J. Savocchio, who is now running the center said that the arrest has brought some relief to Moriarty’s family and the community. He said it is helping them with closure. The investigation is still ongoing: Phoenix Police have released a sketch of the other suspect. When authorities arrived at the scene, they found Moriarty had been shot and killed, and the suspects had fled the scene. Monroy was arrested at his residence, they found a wig matching the description of the one worn during the attack and a gold-colored Nissan, which witnesses claim to see driving away from the scene, according to a probable cause statement. If you are facing criminal charges in the Greater Phoenix Area, contact the Davidson Criminal Defense & DUI Law Firm, PLC to work with a former prosecutor who is AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®.
